Crossing It Off
by Sir Cameron Dragic
Summary: Steve still has quite a list of things to catch up on. But it helps when you have friends like the Avengers along for the ride. A series of one shots detailing Steve's attempts to do everything on his "Things to Catch Up On" list, with the help of some familiar faces.
1. Chapter 1

**Just a thought that popped into my head for one reason or another. Hope you guys enjoy!**

* * *

The List

Wanda was curious.

That wasn't a new occurrence for her. She had been curious about everything when she had first come to the Avengers facility. Curious about the organization that she now worked for. Curious about the extent of her powers when she was training. Curious about how exactly she was going to live life without her brother.

But most of all, she was curious about the people she now called teammates.

After a few weeks working with them, she now knew her fair share, although there was still much to discover. She knew Stark was an arrogant asshole, but he wasn't the demon she had always pictured him as. She knew Falcon was a loyal and honest man, who wanted to prove that he belonged among the gods that made up the Avengers. She knew that Black Widow was not exactly a heartless assassin, as Wanda had initially thought she was. She knew that Vision was not Ultron, and that he took great offense to anyone who even so much as implied that. She knew that Captain America was simultaneously the most open and most guarded person she had ever known.

And that made her very curious.

So when she saw him sitting at a table in the corner of the cafeteria, scribbling in a mysterious notepad, she wasted no time in investigating, her curiosity swallowing up her apprehension at approaching the leader of the Avengers.

"Miss Maximoff." He greeted as she sat down at his table across from him, barely looking up as he continued writing something down. Off duty, he was dressed in a simple gray t-shirt and a worn pair of jeans, a simple look that suited him, Wanda decided. Although, it wasn't like he made anything look particularly bad, what with that incredibly sculpted body and his wonderfully chiseled features, she thought with a slight blush, quickly trying to reroute her thoughts towards her initial reason for approaching him.

"What is that?" She asked bluntly, catching him by surprise as she quickly reached over and plucked the notepad from his hands. Having grown up on the streets of Sokovia with limited supplies, she had quickly learned to simply take things when she needed them. Even with the seemingly limitless resources of the Avengers facility provided to her, it was a habit that was hard to outgrow.

"It's a list." He said awkwardly as she read through the things he had written down, her brow furrowing in confusion as she tired to make sense of what was on the page.

"Steve Jobs, Disco, Thai food, Star Wars?" She read aloud, with most of the words sounding familiar to her, although all of them were still rather foreign concepts to her.

He nodded, "It's a list of things that I need to catch up on, so I can get up to speed with everything that's happened in the last 70 years."

"You have a lot on this list." Wanda observed, flipping to the next page, and the next, and the next. It seemed to go on for quite a while. Clearly, the super soldier had been working on it for some time.

Steve rubbed his neck sheepishly, "Yeah, I haven't really found the time to do most of the things on that."

As Wanda read more and more unfamiliar terms, she quickly found her curiosity piqued. She wanted to learn about these things as much as he did, perhaps even more so. Before she knew it, the words came tumbling out of her mouth.

"Do you want help with it?"

Wanda covered her mouth as soon as she finished speaking, hoping that he didn't hear her, but the slightly surprised expression he had on his face told her otherwise. She hung her head. It had been presumptuous of her to assume that he would want to do something with her. She had been his enemy not so long ago, and she had been the one who had unleashed Ultron and all of the chaos onto him. She knew the other Avengers didn't really trust her yet, and she wasn't sure that they ever would, after what she had done…

"Um, sure."

…Wait, what?

She jerked her head up to look at him, to see if he had been joking. But she saw no hint of malice or deceit in those incredibly blue eyes of his that she swore must have been enhanced by the serum.

"It'll be nice to have someone to help me out." He added, flashing her a soft smile as her heart fluttered.

"Okay." She managed, failing to quell the smile that spread across her lips at his answer. She really couldn't help herself, especially with the way he actually seemed excited at the prospect of being around her. It was a welcome change from most of the reactions she usually received around the facility.

The two smiled at each other for a minute, not really sure where to go from there, but neither one really minding the silence.

"What's with all of the awkward silence and staring?" Natasha asked as she sat down next to Steve with a tray of salad and a bottle of water, causing both of them to quickly break off their eye contact.

"Uh, Wanda's going to help me with my list." He explained, as Wanda realized that she still had the notepad in her hands. She quickly reached across the table, returning it to Steve, who slipped it into his pocket.

"Oh really?" Natasha said, cocking an eyebrow and turning an amused gaze to Wanda, who felt extremely exposed with the eyes of the Black Widow seemingly studying every inch of her face.

"Well, feel free to text me if you need someone else to join you guys…unless the two of you would rather do it alone?" She asked with a wicked smile that did little to hide her great joy at teasing the two of them.

"Oh, well, I mean…" Steve sputtered, while Natasha chuckled a bit at watching him squirm and seeing the blush that scorched Wanda's cheeks.

"I'm just joking with you." She said, putting Steve out of his misery and allowing Wanda to release a breath that she didn't know she had been holding, "But seriously, text me if you need someone to join in. I don't want to miss the look on your face when you watch Rocky for the first time."

And with that, Natasha picked up her tray and walked off, leaving a string of flushed cheeks and stammering in her wake.

* * *

 **Do you guys want to see more? I'm not really sure how much of a role romance will play if I keep this going, but I figured that Wanda would be a perfect companion for Steve as he tries to check things off his list, since they both have a lot of things that they've missed out on experiencing in their lives due to circumstances.**

 **Please leave any thoughts you guys have in a PM or review. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far! The feedback is greatly appreciated! Thanks for reading!**

* * *

Star Wars

When Steve opened the door to find Natasha with six DVD's cradled in one arm and a large bucket for popcorn balanced precariously on top of a pile of blankets, he knew that he was going to be in for a long night.

"Well, aren't you going to invite me in?" Natasha quipped, as Steve stepped aside, allowing her to walk past him, but not before she dumped the pile of DVD's into his hands.

"Star Wars." He read off the box on top. It depicted a young man with a glowing blue sword, clearly meant to be the protagonist, along with a wizened old man who looked to be a mentor of some kind. They were accompanied by a rougish character holding what looked like a pistol, and a young woman with her hair arranged into two buns on either side of her head. Frankly, it looked cheesy and Steve wasn't sure exactly why everyone had told him that it was required viewing.

Natasha unceremoniously dropped the blankets onto his couch, "They're classics. Well, the original trilogy is, anyways. I brought the new ones along too, just in case you wanted to watch them too."

"I think the first three are probably going to be enough for today." Steve replied, mentally trying to calculate exactly how long it would take to watch all six, and if it would cut into his morning workout.

"You say that now, but you never know. Once you get going, it's hard to stop." Natasha said as she walked into the small kitchen that his quarters held. Honestly, it didn't see much use outside of heating up leftovers, but it was still nice to have.

Natasha placed a bag of popcorn into the microwave, before setting the timer, although she held off on starting it.

"So…when is Wanda showing up for this?" Natasha asked, looking over at the clock.

"She should be here soon. She said she was going to shower and get ready after training today." Steve answered, clearing out some of the blankets to make a space on the couch for himself and putting down the DVD's on the table in front of his couch.

Natasha smirked, "Well, looks like someone is out to impress you."

"I seriously doubt that." Steve scoffed at the thought. There was no way that Wanda was trying to impress him. They were teammates, nothing more.

Natasha rolled her eyes, "Look, if I was coming over to watch a movie with you, I probably wouldn't go through the hassle of getting ready."

"Nat, you are watching a movie with me." Steve replied pointedly, taking one of the DVD's and putting into the player. It still astounded him to know that film reels and projectors weren't necessary for watching movies anymore. Technology had come a long way in 70 years.

"And do you see me trying to impress you?" Natasha asked, gesturing at her appearance. She was wearing a weathered SHIELD workout shirt and bright red exercise shorts and clearly hadn't taken the time to brush her naturally curly hair, as she usually did for missions. Steve supposed she had a point.

"All right, fair enough." He conceded, "But she's probably trying to impress you more than me."

Natasha shrugged, "Well, I am definitely worth impressing, but I don't know why you have such a hard time believing that she's into you. All of the female agents are. And a few of the male agents too. Believe it or not, there are people who think the whole 1940's gentleman thing is hot."

"Oh, and you don't?" He teased, something that he had been getting better at recently, although he definitely couldn't hold a candle to Natasha in that regard.

She shrugged, "I never said that. I'm just wondering why you can't accept that there are people out there who want to date you."

Steve sighed. Natasha was always trying to play matchmaker and set him up on dates, despite his protests. And now it seemed like she was trying to do the same thing with Wanda. "I'm not against the idea of dating, but I'm waiting for the right situation."

"She's cute, she's single, and clearly wants to impress you. If that isn't a perfect situation, I don't know what is." Natasha insisted, just as Steve heard a knocking at the door.

"She's not trying to impress me." He repeated with finality as he seized the doorknob.

However, when he opened the door to see Wanda, dressed in a dark red sweater that hung loosely off her shoulders and black leggings, Steve had to admit that he was impressed. It was a simple outfit, but somehow, Wanda made it seem dazzling and elegant. Maybe there was some of her mental manipulation at play.

No, he put the thought out of his head. She had agreed to not intrude on anyone's mind without permission, and he trusted her to keep her word.

"Miss Maximoff." He greeted, putting his hand out to shake, which he mentally cursed himself for doing. He wasn't talking to some stranger for the first time, but it didn't exactly seem like Wanda was his friend. And this probably wasn't helping his case with her.

"Thanks for having me, Captain." She replied shyly, awkwardly taking his hand and giving it one shake, before letting it drop as she cautiously walked into his private quarters.

He closed the door behind her, "Uh please, just call me Steve when we're off duty."

"Wanda."

"What?"

"Wanda. It's my name."

He nodded slowly, mentally cursing himself once more, "Oh, right. I knew that."

From her place in the kitchen, Steve saw Natasha mouth something to him. _Smooth._

Apparently, Wanda noticed his eyes and followed his gaze to the super spy, who immediately concealed her scheming look with a saccharine smile.

"Hello…Natasha." Wanda said with some apprehension in her voice, not knowing if she was crossing a line or not. Steve could tell that she didn't want to risk offending her and she was treading very carefully.

But it seemed like Natasha barely noticed, as she gave Wanda a small wave and started the microwave, "Hey, Wanda. Come take a seat. I'm getting the popcorn ready right now."

Wanda nodded, "Okay."

She moved to the couch, where she gingerly sat in the spot that Steve had just vacated. He watched her smooth out the sleeves of her shoulders and decided to join her on the couch.

"We're watching Star Wars tonight. Have you seen it?" Natasha asked as the microwave dinged, indicating that the popcorn was ready. She snatched up the bag and tore it open, immediately filling his quarters with a rich buttery scent.

Steve noticed that Wanda closed her eyes and sniffed lightly before she answered simply, "No."

Pouring the popcorn out into the bucket she had brought along, Natasha walked back to the living room and plopped down on the other side of Steve, trapping him between the two female Avengers.

"Popcorn?" Natasha asked, offering up the bucket, from which Steve took a large handful for himself. Wanda merely stared in apprehension. It took him a split second to realize that she had never eaten popcorn before.

"Wanda, it doesn't bite." Natasha said, popping a few pieces into her mouth, "See?"

Slowly, Wanda reached over and plucked out a small handful. She picked up a single piece. Cautiously, she nibbled at the edge, and, having seemingly determined that it was safe to eat, she placed it in her mouth with an exacted and deliberate move.

"It's good." She decided, finally noticing the stares that she had drawn from Steve and Natasha, who both seemed relieved that she had enjoyed it.

"Well then, let's get this show started." Natasha said, picking up his remote to start the movie, scooting closer to Steve, so that he was forced to gradually inch towards Wanda, who didn't seem to notice. He tried to glare at her, but she didn't even look his way as she fiddled with the remote.

Just as the orchestral score started blaring out and the opening crawl began, Natasha shot out from her seat. She whipped out her phone and her eyes widened. "I think someone is calling me." She announced suddenly, "It's probably about a mission that I can't get out of."

Steve quirked an eyebrow, noticing that the phone was suspiciously quiet. And his enhanced hearing hadn't picked anything up either, "But I didn't hear a ri-."

"Well, duty calls." Natasha cut him off, racing out the front door before Steve could voice a protest.

He and Wanda shared a look.

"That was…interesting." He said, slowly realizing what Natasha was doing to him. She had probably planned this from the beginning to force him to be alone with Wanda. He ran a hand through his hair, wondering if Wanda was going to follow her lead out the door, but as the movie continued on and the Sokovian kept her attention on the screen, he accepted the fact that she wasn't going to leave.

"Do you think it was me?" Wanda asked suddenly as a Star Destroyer chased down the Rebel Cruiser onscreen.

He looked at her, confusion on his face, "What?"

Wanda turned to him, "Did she leave because of me?"

Realizing what she had meant, Steve quickly shook his head, "No! Definitely not. She does this sort of thing all of the time. It's more about putting me in a tough spot than anything you did. Trust me."

Wanda seemed to accept his explanation and nodded, "Sorry. I was just worried about saying the wrong thing to her."

Steve realized that she was really trying her best to make a good impression on them. If only she knew what they had been talking about before she came in, "Natasha isn't that bad, once you get to know her."

" _If_ I get to know her." Wanda replied morosely.

"What do you mean?"

"I know how she looks at me. How all of them look at me. They think I'm a monster. They blame me for everything." Wanda's gaze had traveled down to her hands, the instruments from which she had implanted nightmares in his mind when they had fought.

"Nobody blames you." Steve said, placing his hand on top of hers, "Ultron manipulated you into doing it. There was no way that you could have known about what he was going to try to do. You just wanted to do what was right."

He saw that she wasn't exactly convinced by his words.

"Besides," He added, "You are an Avenger now, which makes you one of us. And we look out for our own."

That seemed to go over a little better with her. Still, he saw the doubt in her face.

"I don't exactly feel like an Avenger. I feel like…"

"Like you're an outsider. Like you shouldn't be standing with these gods and heroes." Steve finished the thought for her, and he could see the surprise on her face.

"Trust me, I know how you feel. When I woke up from the ice, I had nothing. The world had long passed me by. My friends were all dead or dying or worse. I had no one. And when Fury wanted me on the team, I didn't exactly see how I belonged. Stark is a genius, with all the resources in the world. Banner turns into the kind of monster that can level skyscrapers on a whim. Thor is a god of thunder. And I'm just a man. An enhanced man, but just a man." He finished weakly.

Wanda's expression softened, "You really do understand, don't you?"

Steve gave her hand a soft squeeze, "I'm trying to. And the others are too. Just give us a chance."

Wanda nodded, "I want to, but it's just been so long since someone has understood me. Ever since Pietro…" She trailed off, trying to blink tears out of her eyes, trying to hide the pain that she felt. Steve wasn't sure he had ever seen her cry before. Even at the funeral, she had not shed a tear. Whether it was because of the shock of seeing her brother's lifeless form lowered into the ground, or it was because of the front she felt she had to put up, he didn't know. She had been so much stronger than him, but now, that strength was fading fast.

"You miss him." It was a statement. An affirmation.

Her mask cracked, "How could I not?"

The tears were flowing now as her body wracked with sobs. It was as if all of the pain she had been holding in suddenly broke free and it was overwhelming her. Steve could see how much she was struggling now, and how much she had needed someone.

 _And we weren't there for her._

Not content to just watch her, he tentatively placed an arm around her shoulders, and she welcomed the contact, burying her face into his shoulder as she wept. He encircled her with his other arm and squeezed. Tightly.

"It's going to be all right." He whispered softly over and over again into her ear. She clawed at his shirt desperately, bunching up the fabric in her hands as he continued squeezing her, as if it would make the pain go away for her. He knew that it wouldn't be so simple. For the first time in a long while, Steve felt powerless.

"I miss him. I miss him so much." She sobbed into him, trying to stop the tears as best as she could, but failing spectacularly.

Wanda cried until she had no more tears to cry and Steve never budged, keeping her protectively wrapped in his arms as if he would never let go. He breathed her in. He breathed in the saltiness of her tears and the lightly floral fragrance of her shampoo. He breathed her in and he realized that she was far too young to be carrying this burden.

"Please don't let me go." Wanda pleaded with a shuddering intake of breath.

"I'm not going anywhere." Steve answered, and Wanda nodded gratefully, resting her head on his chest. Her breathing slowed and her shaking gradually came to a stop.

"You know, for a second there, you sounded like Pietro." She said after a long while.

Steve bit his lip. Had he made her pain worse with that?

"I'm sorry."

"No, don't be. It was comforting."

He wasn't sure he believed her.

As if she sensed his doubt, Wanda looked up at him, wiping at her eyes, "I was serious. Thank you, Captain. You are a good man."

He shook his head, "Steve."

"Steve." She said his name slowly, like she was trying to get used to the sound of it on her lips, "You are a good man. Thank you for staying with me."

He looked her in the eyes, "I'll stay as long as you need me to."

Wanda lowered her head to his chest again, "Then…do you mind if we just stay like this for a while?"

"Of course not." He answered, locking his arms in place, the movie long forgotten.

* * *

When Natasha returned the next morning after handling her "mission," she opened the door to find Steve and Wanda, curled up together under a blanket, an empty bucket of popcorn besides them. Wanda had her head nestled up against Steve's chest and his arm was wrapped around the rest of her petite frame protectively.

They looked so content in each other's arms and it was such a sweet scene that it would be a crime not to take a few pictures of them, Natasha reasoned. So she whipped out her phone and snapped a dozen photos before silently tip toeing out of the room.

* * *

 **So I didn't really get much into Steve actually watching Star Wars, mostly because watching a movie is one of the more mundane things on his list. As I get to more interesting items, there will be definitely more of a focus on how he reacts to them. I guess you guys will have to just settle for some Wanda and Steve interaction for now. I have a good number of ideas for upcoming chapters, but if you guys have any suggestions, please let me know in a review or PM! Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for everyone who read and reviewed last chapter! I hope you guys enjoy!**

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Sushi

Wanda had never been one to complain about food. Growing up penniless, always wondering where your next meal was coming from tended to do that to a person. She had a very distinctive memory of Christmas back in Sokovia. Pietro had managed to swipe a loaf of stale bread from the local bakery, in the maddening holiday rush, and the two of them had regarded it as a feast, dining under a streetlamp and staring at Christmas trees through windows. Once the bread was devoured, he had pulled out a bar of chocolate that he had been keeping safe all month, and Wanda swore she was in heaven. She had sworn in that moment that no meal would ever taste sweeter.

That was, until she had lunch for the first time in the SHIELD Cafeteria. Her jaw had nearly dropped at the sight of all of the chocolate available, and she had nearly slapped an agent across the face for being wasteful enough to ask for the crust on his sandwich to be cut off. Needless to say, with the quality and sheer quantity of food provided for by the money of Tony Stark, the very same man who she had spent most of her life plotting revenge against, Wanda found very little to complain about.

But that didn't stop the others from voicing their displeasure. Or, to be specific, it didn't stop Rhodey and Sam. Vision didn't have complaints, simply because he didn't eat, so the subject of food didn't mean anything to him. Neither did Steve or Natasha, but both of them had worked for SHIELD for quite some time, and Wanda just assumed that they were used to the food.

"Tony's really going cheap on us with this cafeteria food." Rhodey grumbled through a turkey sandwich, "I bet he's off eating at some five star restaurant right now."

Wanda didn't pay him much attention, too focused on enjoying a plate of pasta with cream sauce. One of the first things she had learned since joining the Avengers was that Italian food was incredible. Actually, all food was incredible. It was just that Italian was even better than most of the things she had tried.

Sam nodded in agreement from his seat across from her, "Yeah, man. Can't they switch up the menu every now and then?"

"You know what we should do?" Rhodey said, apparently struck with an idea, "We should go out to dinner tonight. As a team."

"I like the way you think." Sam declared, nodding his head in assent.

"It would definitely be nice to eat somewhere else for a change." Natasha mused, before turning to Steve, "Got any food related things on that list of yours?"

Steve whipped out his notepad and flipped through a few pages, "The first ones on the list are Thai food and sushi."

"Well, that settles it," Natasha clapped her hands together, "After training tonight, we're going to get sushi together. Wanda, are you in?"

Wanda nodded immediately, She was certainly not going to say no to more food. Especially food that she had never tried before.

* * *

"Wanda," Natasha called out after Steve had ended training and told everyone to hit the showers, but not before making sure to remind everyone that they would be meeting at 7:00 to drive out to a sushi restaurant in New York together.

"Yes?" Wanda slowed her usually brisk pace to allow Natasha to catch up to her.

Natasha slung a towel over her shoulder, "So have you thought about what you're going to wear tonight?"

Wanda shrugged. Honestly, getting dressed was not a big part of her routine in general. As long as it was in a shade of red and kept her warm, it was usually good enough for her. She hadn't grown up wearing designer brands, so although her salary was enough to upgrade her wardrobe, it really had not been a big concern to her. She had more important things to be concerned with.

"Well, try to wear something nice. I'm not saying that you have to go out and dress like it's prom or anything, but we're going to a nice restaurant." Natasha insisted, to which Wanda nodded. It didn't seem like an unreasonable request at all, and she was sure that she could probably find something acceptable in the back of her closet.

"Besides," Natasha added with a teasing smile, "I'm sure a certain someone will appreciate it."

Although Natasha hadn't mentioned a specific name, as she looked at herself in the mirror, having decided on wearing a scarlet blouse that ran to her forearms, which was adorned with her usual bracelets and a black knee-length skirt, Wanda couldn't help but to let her thoughts wander to the possibility that the "certain someone," could be Steve. But almost as quickly as the idea came into her head, it was gone. As far as she knew, the man had no interest in her, and she wasn't quite sure where she stood with him.

Thinking of the way that he had spent "Movie Night" with her brought a pained smile to her face. While she had done her best to hide the pain she still felt from losing Pietro, she was glad to have shared it with Steve. He had been so kind to her from the start, and when she had broken down, he had wrapped her up in his arms and whispered soothing words into her ear. Out of respect for him, she hadn't probed too deeply into his mind, but she had certainly sensed the sympathy and sincerity behind his actions.

Frankly, she had just been glad to have someone who would listen to her without judging, no matter what she was to him. If he were going to be her friend, she would gladly welcome his friendship.

 _Now if he wanted to be more than that…_

Wanda shook her head violently, shocked by the way her mind was running rampant with the possibility that Steve was interested in being anything other than her teammate. Not that she wouldn't welcome any advances from him. Actually, it was quite the contrary. His silky blond hair, chiseled features, and puppy dog eyes made him look like he belonged in Hollywood, not out fighting to defend the world. And that was before talking about his wonderfully sculpted physique. But more importantly, above all of the physical qualities that made him a woman's dream, she knew that Steve was a good man at heart.

"Wanda, we should probably get going!" A voice interrupted her thoughts, accompanied by a terse knock on her door.

"I'll be out in a minute!" Wanda replied, checking herself one last time in the mirror before she walked out to see Steve standing in her doorway, dressed in a blue button down and a dark brown leather jacket that paired nicely with his dark jeans.

"You, uh, look nice." Steve said quickly, eyes suddenly very interested in the ground. Worried that something about her appearance was off, she quickly scanned his mind, only to find the opposite was true, much to her relief.

"Thank you," She replied shyly, trying to hide the blush that had spread across her cheeks, "You look very nice as well."

He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, "Oh, this is nothing. I just put on whatever Nat picked out for me."

Wanda smiled a bit at his deflection of her compliment. The man truly had no ego, unlike some of the other Avengers she had met. She didn't know what it was about men wearing suits of armor that made them into egomaniacs, but she was glad that Steve would never have to wear one. If even Captain America became like Stark and Rhodes, then all hope would truly be lost.

"So, should we get going?" Steve asked, looking at his watch, "We're running a few minutes behind everyone else."

Wanda nodded, "Of course."

Steve and Wanda walked out to the parking lot in a comfortable silence. Wanda had found that most people tended to talk too much, and often about themselves. Steve was quite the opposite. He tended to talk only when necessary, and always directed the conversation away from himself. It was refreshing.

He stopped at a large motorbike, with two helmets slung over the handlebars.

He picked up the larger helmet and held it under his arm, "Sorry, but I don't own a car, so we'll have to take the Harley."

"It's not a problem for me."

Steve looked relieved, before he reached over and handed her the smaller helmet. Subtly rejoicing in the fact that she decided against doing anything special to her hair, Wanda slipped on the helmet, feeling something warm envelop her body. She looked up at Steve, who had shed his jacket and slipped it over her shoulders.

"Steve, I'm fine." Wanda said, nonetheless appreciating the gesture.

He shook his head, blond hair now hidden underneath the jet black helmet he wore, "I really don't need it. Superhuman metabolism and all. I don't get cold."

Taking her hand in his and helping her onto her seat, Steve then moved it to his waist as he sat down as well.

"I'd hold on, just in case." He said, before revving the motor and sheathing the kickstand, as Wanda instinctively hugged him tightly to keep herself from falling off the bike.

She thought she heard him chuckle before he pulled out of the parking lot.

* * *

"Took you two long enough. And what's with your hair? You couldn't wait until after dinner to jump her?" Natasha teased as Wanda and Steve walked in, all of the other members already waiting inside.

"Nat!" Steve chided, while Wanda merely snickered a bit at the way that his cheeks flushed red and adjusted her hair with her fingers, trying to rein in a few stubborn strands.

"Isn't that your jacket, Cap?" Sam asked with a knowing smile on his face.

Realizing that she was still wearing Steve's jacket, Wanda quickly shed it and offered up to Steve, well aware of the thoughts running through the minds of the other Avengers, now that Sam's suspicions were confirmed.

Before anyone could say anything, however, their waitress came and offered to lead them to their seats. Wanda found herself sitting next to Natasha and Vision, while Steve took a seat across from her on the other side of the table, next to Sam and Rhodey.

"I do not understand my purpose here. My method of producing energy is quite different from yours and it does not involve the consumption of organic molecules." Vision stated, while the waitress went around handing out water, before pausing momentarily at the android.

"He's fine without it." Natasha informed the waitress, who looked relieved at having avoided an awkward situation.

"The first course should be out soon." The waitress informed the table, before rushing off, allowing the Avengers to delve into conversation while they waited for the food.

Wanda silently watched Sam and Steve launch into a discussion about a recent mission assignment that was supposed to take them to Hawaii to raid a suspected Hydra post. Admittedly, she hadn't taken the time to read the briefing yet, so she took advantage of the conversation to catch up on what she had missed.

"So Wanda, like what you see?" Natasha whispered into her ear, nearly causing Wanda to knock over her water in surprise.

"I-I-" She stammered out, while Natasha just smiled at her.

Thankfully, her embarrassment was cut short by the waitress, who, true to her word, had the first round of sushi out in record time.

Wanda stared at the two pieces of Tuna sushi with great apprehension. Sure, she was willing to try new things, but this just seemed…weird.

She looked up at Steve, who seemed to be going through the same debate in his own mind, as he poked at the fish with one of his chopsticks.

"Don't tell me that Captain America is scared of some raw fish." Rhodey laughed, snatching up his own piece of sushi and popping it into his mouth without any hesitation.

Seemingly heartened by that display, Steve shared a look with Wanda before he did the same.

Wanda tensed as Steve's eyes suddenly widened. It looked like something was going very wrong.

"It's good." He said with the surprise evident in his voice. Immediately, he reached down and secured his other piece with his chopsticks

"Wanda, you really should try this!" He exclaimed, offering it to her.

She hesitated for a moment, before deciding that, if it tasted good enough for Steve, it would be good enough for her. She opened her mouth, allowing him to put the sushi on her tongue. She closed her mouth and chewed.

Wanda closed her eyes allowed the flavor to wash over her mouth. It was definitely different from anything else she had eaten before. But it was definitely different in a good way.

"I like it." She concluded, opening her eyes to see that everyone at the table, even Vision, had been staring at her. Actually, that wasn't accurate. The stares alternated between her and Steve, who still had his chopsticks held out to her face.

"Smooth, Cap. Smooth." Sam chuckled, causing Steve to quickly retract his arm.

The rest of dinner passed without much incident, and Wanda actually found herself enjoying the company of the other Avengers. Sam and Rhodey were actually quite funny, although Wanda still found herself laughing harder at Natasha's snarky comments more than anything else. Vision's odd interjections and general unfamiliarity with humanity led to a round of quizzical looks and amusing attempts to explain concepts unfamiliar to the android. Steve played the part of mediator, never dominating the conversation, but still allowing his opinion to be known on certain matters.

To Wanda, it felt like being a part of a family. She wondered briefly how Pietro would have fit in with the others. Would he be sitting right beside her, cracking jokes with Sam and Rhodey? Maybe he'd be speaking with Vision, although she could definitely imagine Pietro getting frustrated quickly with the android and his lack of knowledge about humans and the society they lived in. She thought of how he would act around the Captain. Would he approve of her spending time with him? More likely than not, he'd probably tease her incessantly about it.

Wanda sighed. Why was it that, even when everyone was enjoying themselves, her thoughts always had to turn back to Pietro? Why was it so hard for her to accept that he was gone?

"Wanda." Steve asked, cutting her thoughts off with a worried look, "Is everything alright?"

She nodded, not wanting to interrupt Rhodey's story, "I was just thinking about Pietro."

Understanding washed over his features and Steve didn't say another word. He didn't need to. Instead, he reached out across the table and placed his hand on top of hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

Unspoken gratitude was present in the small smile that spread across her lips, as she thought less of Pietro, and more of the man holding her hand.

Right then and there, Wanda decided that they definitely had to go out for sushi more often.

* * *

 **So, hope you guys liked the idea of the whole team going out for dinner. I definitely think of the Avengers as one big family that does stuff like family dinners.**

 **I definitely have a good amount of ideas to go through before this is all over, and I left a hint for the next chapter, so I definitely know where to take this next, but I am always open to new ideas. Please if you guys have any suggestions on what else should be on Steve's list, let me know!**

 **Thanks for reading!**


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